Computer

ABSTRACT

A device including a housing having pulleys at opposite ends over which a plurality of belts extend being exposed along their substantial length on the top side. A slider having an opening extending transversely of said belts is movable over the belts. Chronological information is provided on the belts and may be viewed over a substantial period of time through the top of the housing or for one unit of time in the viewing opening in the slider. One of the belts is provided with projection measuring indicia and is movable with the slider to measure into the future and into the past relative to the point of time registering in the viewing opening in the slider. Provision is made for positioning a belt outside of the housing so that belt substitution may be readily achieved. A clamping means is provided on the slider for engaging all the belts to move them with the slider to expose information on the bottom side of the belts.

United States Patent Hansen Apr. 4, 1972 [54] COMPUTER Primary Examiner-Robert W. Michell Assistant Examiner-J. H. Wolff [72] Inventor. Richard S. Hansen, 675 44th Street, Des Atmmey Zarley,McKee &Thomte Momes, Iowa 50312 [22] Filed: Mar. 9, 1970 [57] ABSTRACT Appl. No.: 17,543

A device including a housing having pulleys at opposite ends over which a plurality of belts extend being exposed along their substantial length on the top side. A slider having an opening extending transversely of said belts is movable over the belts. Chronological information is provided on the belts and may be viewed over a substantial period of time through the top of the housing or for one unit of time in the viewing opening in the slider. One of the belts is provided with projection measuring indicia and is movable with the slider to measure into the future and into the past relative to the point of time registering in the viewing opening in the slider. Provision is made for positioning a belt outside of the housing so that belt substitution may be readily achieved. A clamping means is provided on the slider for engaging all the belts to move them with the slider to expose information on the bottom side of the belts.

7 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures COMPUTER There are many times when it is desirable to relate together events of the past, future and present covering a few years or hundreds of years of time. In doing this it is desirable to be able to view this information at a glance to place it in perspective and give it meaning. Additionally, it is important to view this information more specifically over a one unit time period such as a year period of time.

The computer of this invention makes it possible to store substantial quantities of chronological information in a given field of study and retrieve it for viewing as desired. The information is chronologically arranged on a plurality of belts and a slider moves over the belt for focusing on a specific time period and ascertaining the events occurring within that time period. Additionally, one of the belts is movable with the slider and serves as a projection measure to indicate the number of years in the future and in the past to relate to other events. The information on each of the belts is labeled by indicia on the slider in alignment with each of the belts.

Uses of the computer of this invention are infinite in number and for example purposes only include historical events, price trends, earnings of businesses, wage rates, population figures, unemployment data, and stock market informatron.

This invention consists in the construction, arrangements, and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, specifically pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. I is a fragmentary perspective view of the computer of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view thereof;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a schematic of the year" belt which is twice the length of the other belts; and

FIG. 7 is a representative example of information that may be provided on the belts and the slider.

The computer of this invention is referred to in FIG. 1 generally by the reference numeral 10 and includes a housing 12 having opposite side walls 14 and 16, opposite end walls 18 and 20 and a top flange 22 defining an opening 24 into a compartment 26 in the housing 12.

A pair of shafts 28 and 30 (FIG. 7) are secured to the opposite side walls 14 and 16 adjacent the opposite end walls 18 and 20 and carry thereon a plurality of 32. A plurality of preferably nonstretch belts 40 extend over the pulleys 32 inside the compartment 26 and are exposed through the opening 24 along their top sides 42. Indicia 46 arranged chronologically along the belts 40 is provided.

A slider 50 extends across the top of the belts 40 and rides on the side flanges 22. An elongated opening 52 extends the length of the slider 50 and transversely of the belts 40 to expose one unit of time in the slider opening 52. lndicia 55 is provided on a panel 56 of the slider 50 in alignment with each of the belts 40 to identify the type of information contained on the belts.

An outside belt 60 is provided extending around pulleys 32A mounted on the shafts 28 and 30. A portion 58 of the panel 56 on the slider 50 extends over the belt 60 and carries identifying indicia 55A thereon. This belt 60 may be easily removed for substitution of other belts without handling of the belts 40 in the compartment 26 being required.

The slider 50 includes a crossbar 70 extending under the belts 40 and is held in spaced relationship to the slider 50 by a thumbscrew 72 positioned in the center of the slider. A pair of spring loaded thumbscrews 74 are provided on opposite sides of the thumbscrew 72 to stabilize the opposite ends of the crossbar 70 and tend to draw them upwardly against the slider 50. When desired, the thumbscrew may be tightened thereby clamping the crossbar 70 and the slider to the belts 40 such that the belts 40 will move with the slider between the opposite end walls 18 and 20 of the housing.

One of the belts 40A is secured to the slider 50 by a clamp element 80. A threaded bolt 82 extends through the slider 50 and is threadably attached to the element 80.

One of the belts in the compartment 26, belt 408, is double the length of the other belts 40 and 40A as seen in FIG. 6 and extends over an extra set of pulleys 90 and 92 mounted on shafts 94 at opposite ends of the housing below the top pulleys Vertical alignment of the chronological information on the belts may be established by manual rotation of the belts made possible by provision of finger engaging flanges 98 on the pulleys over which the belts 40 and 40B extend. None is needed for the belt 40A since it is movable with the slider 50.

In operation it is seen that the information regarding a given fact situation is assimilated and applied to the belts 40, 40A, 40B and 60 and additionally on the slider panel 56 to identify the various categories of information. In FIG. 7 it is seen that the outside belt 60 for the example shown has infonnation concerning pattern of advancement regarding an employee of a business, and sets forth job titles held for different periods of employment covering 22 years in the partial specimen shown. The second belt 40A is the projection measure and simply includes numbers, positive and negative, to the right and left of the slider opening 52 which exposes the number zero. The third belt lists the ages of the employee which in turn relate to the pattern of advancement indicating the various jobs held at various ages. The fourth belt indicates the number of years the employee had been employed by the business at any given point in time. Lastly, the belt 40B which is double in length, has the calendar years thereon to indicate at any given point in time the calendar year. Thus it is seen that with the slider moved to the position indicated for illustrative purposes in FIGS. 2 and 7, the employee was an assistant superintendent of the manufacturing plant in 1942 and had been employed by the company for 8 years. At this time his age was 32. Looking forwardly on the projection measure belt the employee became assistant general manager 12 years later and on the age of employee belt he was 44 at that time and had been employed for 20 years as indicated on the age of employment belt. The year belt indicates that he became assistant general manager in 1954.

It is expected that the information on the belts inside the housing 26 could be conveniently related to any number of different employees for example, while the information on the outside belt 60 might be changed by substituting other belts as appropriate. As the needs of the situation arise, it is possible to view a hundred years of information at a time and by moving the belts one full length by the slider 50 being moved from one end to the other of the housing, another hundred years of time and information will be exposed.

The downwardly extending side flanges 100 on the slider 50 limit lateral movement relative to the housing sidewalls 14 and 16. It is seen that as many belts as desired may be employed and in the embodiment shown and described herein, l2 belts have been provided which is believed will cover most situations easily. The order of the information on the slider and the belts may be appropriately varied as the data and uses therefor vary.

I claim:

1. An indicating device comprising,

a frame having a plurality of pulleys at opposite ends thereof,

a plurality of belts extending around said pulleys and being visually exposed along their substantial length on their top sides,

indicia on said belts,

a slider movable on said frame over said belts and having an opening for viewing selected portions of said indicia on said belts, said opening in said slider extending transversely of said belts to expose a portion only, under said slider, of each of said belts,

one of said plurality of belts being integral with said slider, the other belts being independently movable with respect to each other and said slider including clamping means for selectively engaging said other belts of said plurality of belts whereby said other belts may be moved in unison with said slider.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said slider includes a cover portion extending over said belts and having identifying indicia thereon aligned with each of said belts.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein each of the pulleys at one end of said frame for said other belts have exposed flange engaging means for rotating said pulleys and belts to obtain alignment.

4, The structure of claim 1 wherein one of said other belts has a length twice that of said other belts and extends around a second set of pulleys at each end of said frame.

5. The structure of claim 1 wherein said frame includes a housing substantially open along the top side to expose the top of said belts positioned inside said housing. an outside belt and pulleys secured to said frame whereby said outside belt may be selectively replaced by other outside belts, and indicia being provided on said outside belt.

6. The structure of claim 5 wherein said slider includes a cover portion extending over said belts and having identifying indicia thereon aligned with each of said belts and said cover portion extends outwardly of said housing over said outside belt and identifying indicia is provided thereon in alignment with said outside belt.

7. The structure of claim 1 wherein said indicia on said belts is chronologically arranged along the length thereof and said one belt includes projection measurer indicia using said opening in said slider as a reference point, measuring positively to the right and negatively to the left of said slider.

i 1 i t 

1. An indicating device comprising, a frame having a plurality of pulleys at opposite ends thereof, a plurality of belts extending around said pulleys and being visually exposed along their substantial length on their top sides, indicia on said belts, a slider movable on said frame over said belts and having an opening for viewing selected portions of said indicia on said belts, said opening in said slider extending transversely of said belts to expose a portion only, under said slider, of each of said belts, one of said plurality of belts being integral with said slider, the other belts being independently movable with respect to each other and said slider including clamping means for selectively engaging said other belts of said plurality of belts whereby said other belts may be moved in unison with said slider.
 2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said slider includes a cover portion extending over said belts and having identifying indicia thereon aligned with each of said belts.
 3. The structure of claim 1 wherein each of the pulleys at one end of said frame for said other belts have exposed flange engaging means for rotating said pulleys and belts to obtain alignment.
 4. The structure of claim 1 wherein one of said other belts has a length twice that of said other belts and extends around a second set of pulleys at each end of said frame.
 5. The structure of claim 1 wherein said frame includes a housing substantially open along the top side to expose the top of said belts positioned inside said housing, an outside belt and pulleys secured to said frame whereby said outside belt may be selectively replaced by other outside belts, and indicia being provided on said outside belt.
 6. The structure of claim 5 wherein said slider includes a cover portion extending over said belts and having identifying indicia thereon aligned with each of said belts and said cover portion extends outwardly of said housing over said outside belt and identifying indicia is provided thereon in alignment with said outside belt.
 7. The structure of claim 1 wherein said indicia on said belts is chronologically arranged along the length thereof and said one belt includes projection measurer indicia using said opening in said slider as a reference point, measuring positively to the right and negatively to the left of said slider. 